Vazov's grave

In the distant 1921 the Patriarch of Bulgarian Literature was buried with honors by the whole Bulgarian nation in the center of Sofia, in the garden behind the church "St. Sofia ”, where his tomb is still located today. The monument is a large Vitosha stone, specially brought from the Vitosha moraines. According to rumors, right on this stone Vazov stopped for a rest during his walks to the Golden Bridges, looking for inspiration and solitude with nature. The carrying of the 10-ton rock, 2.5 meters high and 1.5 meters wide, causеs serious difficulties. It was transported by a car pulled by three pairs of buffaloes. According to the press at the time, a special road with a length of 4 km was built for this purpose, and the transport to the center of Sofia takes a full 18 days. Only a Christian cross, the poet's name and the years of his birth and death are carved on the stone.

Ivan Vazov was born on June 27, 1850 in the town of Sopot in the family of a middle-class merchant. He works in almost all genres. The main themes in his works are the love for the Motherland, for the nature of Bulgaria, as well as the victories of the Bulgarians on the battlefield. Vazov didn’t remain indifferent to the problems of Bulgaria after the Liberation, as well as to the apathy of Europe to the difficult fate of the Bulgarian nation during this period. He died in 1921 from a heart attack at 71 years old.

While still alive, the great writer chose the place where he would be buried. The most important thing for him was to have a view of Vitosha. The tomb is extremely modest. Specialists define Vazov's tomb as a monument of great monumental and sacred significance for all who worship the achievements of Bulgarian literature.